You really should submit your videos to some TV producers and pitch your own show. This masterclass series would be perfect for a half-hour gardening show with commercial breaks! I'd watch!
I let mine go to seed 3 years ago and they spread everywhere. I had them in the cracks in the sidewalk, in my gravel driveway, they even tried growing in a little puddle of soil on my front steps. I did transplant the ones I knew wouldn’t make it where they were but the driveway carrots tasted great!😂
@@TraceUK been gardening 45 years and i may have a tip for you.... Carrots are close cousins to many weeds. Treat them gingerly and they won't grow. I have awesome carrots every year. I have an old fashioned, just in the regular dirt, backyard garden. Every year I sow a row of carrots 4 feet wide and 10 feet long. I just plow the regular dirt, rake it smooth, broadcast carrot seeds, rake through it again with the tips of the rake getting the seeds spread out and barely covered. I let the rain take care of it and I walk away. No compost no fertilizer. Just the dirt. They take forever but they pop up just fine. I rarely thin them, never water them, and I get great carrots every year. They are tougher than you think. And they grow fine in clay soil like mine. So try just tossing some and rake them in and see what happens. Also for late season try harvesting after the first freezes. They sweeten up just like parsnips do! Good luck!
Ha ha ha...your advice to push down on the root before twisting and pulling is exactly how teeth are removed. I'm a retired dentist. THANKS for this informative video! SUBSCRIBED
im not a mechanic but I was watching videos on how to fix my car and the guy said to help remove rusty bolts without breaking them in the engine block try and tighten them a tiny bit first and then loosen it doing it a few times a plumber in the comments mentioned doing it with pipe same concept never thought about using it in other applications lol and now for carrot removal. Man the journey I just went on 😂
Hi Ben, I start me carrots off in cardboard egg caratons. I cut the bottom out of each 'cup' and then plant 1-2 seeds in each cup. That way they are well spaced and don't need thinning. I lay the trays of germinated c arrot seeds end to end to mske a perfectly spaced row. Keeping the seedlings moist is important to allow the carboard egg carton, moist so it decomposes allowing the carrots to grow. I get great carrots and germination. Happy gardening 😃
I'm going to try egg cartons this year, since I still have seeds on the older side, I let them germinate in a plastic container with a piece of toilet paper first and will select only the sprouted seeds. Hope this will work. (Doing the same with parsnips) With egg cartons (and TP-Rolls) it seams to me they need much more water since it evaporates from the sides as well. Thought of putting them in a sand bed or something to counteract that a bit. You got any tips on that or do you just keep watering them?
I like to crush a couple of cloves of garlic, boil them in a pint of water, strain and put the lquid in a spray bottle. Using this spray whilst thinning helps against the dreaded carrot fly.
Hands down the best master tip for carrots that I don’t see here: wait for cold weather to harvest. Turns delicious and fresh into ‘best carrot I’ve ever tasted’. Big sugar boost after frosts. Great video!😊
I had marginal luck with carrots for many years until I found a tip somewhere-- instead of filling the sowing trench with soil, fill it with fine vermiculite. That holds the water nicely, provides a visible cue to where the rows are, and is a nice loose surface that tiny carrot seedlings will have no trouble penetrating on emergence. That way I can water every other day, and there's no board to lift. Love your videos, especially the masterclass ones that are so informative!
You can also make a pudding with water and cornstarch. Add the carrots and let them set over night. Then put the mixture in a ziplock bag and snip off a corner. Then pipe it into the trench and cover with soil. This helps to keep moisture up and with spacing.
Carrot greens make an incredible pesto with walnuts, olive oil, green onion, parma and a bit of basil and thyme. You can easily eat it by the spoonful!
Great video! I will add my tip here that has worked well for me for years. When starting them in the garden bed (I have raised beds,) I lay down a 4” wide board. I scribe the seed path down both the edges of the board - very close - I use the board as a straight edge. Keeping the board in place, I sprinkle the seeds into the little trench and cover them up. Keep the board in place - it will keep the soil moist. Which helps the seed to germinate. No having to lift the board to check on germination. It also helps to space the rows at the correct distance in an intensively planted garden bed. I usually plant beside two boards, for 4 rows of carrots.
Great video👍 Many seeds can lie in cold frozen soil and germinate when the temperature is right for them (like nature itself). Carrot seeds are of this type and therefore can be sown very early in the year, even on top of frozen soil covered with a little sandy soil on top. In my climate with snow in winter, it is also a good idea to put a layer of snow on top. When the snow melts in the spring, the seeds get good moisture and germinate when the temperature is right for them. I often winter-sow carrots in January, long long before the last frostdate. It works just fine.
I saw your book at my local library in Maryland! They had it on display with other garden books. I was like "I know him!" Well, I watch your videos. 😂 Thanks for all the helpful info!
You are a natural teacher Ben. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and encouraging. You would be inspirational with young children. Thank you so much .I am an elderly, retired infant teacher. In recent years I have started to fear that the garden may be getting too much for me and maybe it's time to hang up my trowel .😢 I'm delighted to say that your videos have magical properties and I'm up and off to the greenhouse once more. You and the community that you have built here are such great company. Happy gardening and best wishes one and all !😊😊
Never stop gardening. As long as you can move try to grow something. I'm fighting cancer at 63 and gardening helps me both physically and mentally. Maybe you can just supervise the grandchildren as you teach them how to garden.
@@brianmoore4299How kind of you to take the time to respond to my comment especially when you are dealing with so much yourself. I totally agree that it is essential to keep moving and that gardening is a real blessing . I think that maybe I should have been more accurate in describing how " "vintage" I am.😂😂 I am well into my eighties now and and the archetypal spinster teacher so no family around.I did have a neighbour who shared my love of gardening and we both worked together establishing our wildlife friendly gardens over many years. Sadly he passed away three years ago and a young couple have moved in. They have no interest in the garden ,which is fair enough , but it has been heartbreaking and quite soul destroying seeing so many lovingly cultivated plants and valuable wildlife habitats ripped out and even a plastic lawn .I must admit to having shed many a quiet tear 😢 Sadly that is often the way of the world these days .So many people seem to be actually frightened of nature. It can be so disheartening and one of my main impulses for carrying on is to put off the same thing happening to my beloved patch. I am naughty dragging around compost , heavy pots etc and did take a tumble last year which knocks your confidence a little. My post was certainly not meant as a moan, but just to stress how wonderful it is to spend time here amidst like minded people. So uplifting and has me sowing seeds once more😊 I wish you the very best with your ongoing treatment and may gardening be a blessing in your life for many years to come.
@@twpsy634 This is my week off from my chemo infusions, so I just got back inside from the garden. I had notifications and one was your comment to me. I don't know where you hail from but myself I'm in sunny southern California USA. I found your comment heartwarming. (And I'd like to caution you to please be careful. No falling). I share your feelings about nature and plants in general. I walk my neighborhood and enjoy looking at the well kept yards. The ones where the people are actually doing things with them. New planting etc. One suggestion for you if you're comfortable with it is to talk with the church and see if they have kids they can send your way. I used to teach gardening at a local community college so I'm always interested in teaching young ones at least the basics of gardening. God bless and thanks for the info.
Nantes half core and coreless are my absolute favorite carrots of all time, crisp, sweet and amazing carrot flavour!. P.S. This really is the best garden show on all of youtube, I've been gardening for decades and I always learn something new here, plus, I can tell that you love gardening too by your ever present smile, I call it "the gardener's grin". Happy gardening to all!.
I finally found a way to ensure that my carrot seeds stayed moist, even in alabama full sun: bubble wrap. I tried using the board last year and never hand luck, but the bubblewrap did the trick
Last year was the first year I had any success with carrots. What a difference in those fresh out of the dirt and store bought ! Such a crunch and sweet flavor. I'm definitely having a carrot patch again
Great Video! I have grown carrots for years in egg cartons. I get the flats for 30 eggs. I take the bottom out of all the cups, then fill them with potting soil & compost mix, sow the carrot seeds very carefully and then cover with soil out in the trench. I also cover them with poly carbonate panels, protecting the seeds from heavy rain and wind, and lets in 100% of the sunlight, and I can see them when they're up. Love this video!!
I found out this new method of pre-sprouting carrot seeds in paper towels and then using egg cartons for spacing. This is where you just punch a hole in each egg "nest" so the tap root can penetrate the soil. No thinning required, so I have to try it out.
Since that is all I seem to be growing (tops), I'll do that. Better something than nothing for my work... sifting soil, carefully spacing and thinning..
I'ts pretty simple to make your own seed tapes with toilet paper. Something that's nice to do in the winter while wathcing or listening to something. You can ensure even spacing to your own requireents.
@@GrowVeg Thanks. I'm surprised you've not come across it before. I'll give a bit more info on what I in case anyone reading is in the same situation. * unroll a length of toilet paper and lay it flat * lightly spray the lot with a fine mist of water to dampen to tissue. * pop the seeds down at the distance you prefer. * fold the tissue over length-ways into half, thirds or quarters. * leave somewhere airy to dry * roll up, label and store somewhere dark and airy until needed. Paper bags are ok, but not plastic. *** if the seeds need it, pop them in the freezer for a while, as-is. and, yes, it is surprisingly relaxing. P.s. when the ticcues dries it sticks to itself like very thin paper mache - hence the 'tape' part of it.
I saw on utube an interesting tip i plan to try. Take a paper plate punched out with seed sized holes and a solid "parking lot" section. Place handful of seeds and swipe them across the holes. Park the seeds remaining on the blank space, move plate, repeat. Sounds like it might work for all seeds. Just make a custom spaced plate for each seed type. Write on it what it is and reuse next time.
I do maincrop carrots after the spuds in 30L tubs, draw a spiral shaped seed drill, I've just found insect net bags with draw stings big enough to go right over the tubs, I'm all set
Thankyou so much for your super videos..its always exciting when a new one appears. I always drop my seeds in rows on strips of toilet paper then fold and damp to set....saves on ribbon seeds😂 Take care
I appreciate the cooking tips for the vegetables that you often add Ben at the end of your videos 😊. Please continue to give them; after all, that's why we grow them! Thanks.
Thanks Ben. I Havent ever been successful with carrots but I havent given up. I liked the masterclasse and love reading all the comments afterwards.... more tips to pickup.
I made my own carrot and radish seed tapes this year. It’s not hard and they are already spaced. I love watching your videos!! Thank you for your work! ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌻🍠🥔🌽🫚🧅🧄🍅🫛
You can make your own seed tapes very easily, with bathroom tissue and a bit of flour glue. I do it in the late winter so they're ready for the spring sowing.
just found your channel and Ive been putting all your tips in my garden journal! Im a new gardener and im excited to implement all these great tips! Thank you for sharing your knowledge so clearly!!!
I have planted Rainbow carrots into the end or edge of several Chaos planted gardens this year! I will plant more carrots everywhere the Garlic, early potatoes and onions come out. We are into our 3rd week , near solid rain. Never had them germinate this fast. They are all planted in onions and garlic gardens.
Thanks as always Ben, once again, some very important information. I always thought I was a good gardener until I came across you. Lol. LOL I still am a good gardener, but I am better because of you. God bless you and yours.
Thank you dear. This novice is learning so much from you! So grateful. I am enjoying the first greenery from tomatoes, onions and a couple of herbs. I am also living with seed spuds on the windowsill! Chitting away nicely. Carrots are next... I have a few planter bags for them. Loving this new approach to eating well, everything else seems like sacrilege now !!! Huge thanks ❤
Excellent tutorial! I’m trying carrots in grow bags for the first time this year. I’ll take your advice about protecting them from dryness and insects. Thank you!
I love the garden planner. I've been gardening for over 35 years and have tried several programs like this, but none of them come close it. I also like the way Ben presents his topic.
We have all different colors of carrots at our local grocers, red, white, purple and orange. Growing them have been a challenge for me. Thank you for your channel. I'll try the tips and see how it goes
Something I tried last year for moving carrots to outside was to use two tubs the same size. I took two plastic containers mushrooms had been bought in. I cut the bottom completely out of one. I then slid that one inside the other which still had the bottom. When ready to transplant, dig a hole the size of the container. Tilt the container on its side and slip off the whole container. Lay the container with the hole in the bottom and seedlings in next to hole dug and tip up container at same time sliding it into the hole. Now simply slide up and off the bottomless container. Containers can be used again. It really wants containers that don't narrow down a lot from top to bottom otherwise the container won't slide up and off.
I can't wait to sow now :) The only thing is I rebuilt the whole garden from a tiled wasteland... I still need to mix the compost with the new ground. And build the raised bed at some point 😅 Maybe in the middle of the pile I could put something already.
Hi there I have experimented the last 2 years planting carrots as well as other root veggies in the fall with great success and I am in zone 2b in Saskatchewan Canada...never had to water the carrots once as the snowmelt and rain took care of that...
A tip I learned is to presprout the seeds in water, takes about 4 days. Then make a corn starch water mix like a paste and add the sprouted carrot seed. Then place that mixture into a plastic bag and cut the corner off like a icing spout and squeeze the mix into your furrow. This helps space out the seed evenly and keep it moist. The seed will sprout in a couple days and be very high success rate.
I notice that you harvest your Carrots and immediately wash them. I have found that washed carrots go soft in the crisper. What I do is pull the Carrots, twist off the foilage and scrub off as much dirt as I can using an old scrubbing brush. Then I store them in a plastic bag with a paper towel. Keeps them fresh till we use them. Cheers.
Great video. Thanks. I absolutely love garden grown fresh carrots and take them regularly to work in my lunch. There is no comparison to store-bought carrots. Lots of really good tips here and I always look forward to your videos. You make great videos. Thanks again.
Wonderful video and so much good information. I've tried carrots and never had much success, but am now inspired to give it one more shot this spring 🥕!
I just watched your Bean masterclass video, and here I am enjoying the Carrot class. What a great resource you are. Carrots give me fits, I only really grow them for the grandchildren... after all, it's exciting to pull a beautiful bunch of carrot leaves and get a pretty surprise! I'll try your tips -- you're very encouraging, thank you!
I have just found your channel and I can see how much care and how passionate you are about your garden! What a joy to watch - I’m starting my gardening journey, first time growing ANYTHING from a seed! - I’ve learnt a lot about what I’d like to achieve and I’m excited! X
Man, your content is just sooooo good. I'm hoping to buy a homestead in the near future. I'm confident this will scale up so I can grow the majority of my own calories. Thanks for the solid wholesome content.
Pelleted seeds are nice because you can space them out easier, less thinning. Mine came in a little sparse this year but I had carrots with beer can diameter last year so it should turn out. 2-8-4 organic fertz with top ups of potassium.
Thanks for that Ben. I've just emptied a pot I had some growing in last year and they were quite small but beautifully formed. I didn't know I could have left them to get bigger this year. I thought after one year that was it. Lesson learnt! 😜
45 yrs ago, I grew the most perfectly uniform, huge, sweet carrots I ever ate. In river bottom dirt from the Kaw river in Topeka Kansas. I have often thought about how much it would cost for a semi load of that dirt delivered to Texas.😮😮
Wow I’ve been saving my paper towel and toilet paper cardboard for compost, but never thought to start seeds in them. Very cool, thanks for the great advice!
If you buy table salt in the cardboard tubes.. those work awesomely as well. I have about half a dozen of them with basil. Also.. soda cans with the tops cut off.. baking soda boxes.. (I use allot of baking soda for cleaning) We don’t buy canned drinks so I get my cans when I take my kids to the lake, we do a bit of land clean up and get free planters out of it 😁
Thanks Ben, I forgot to harvest some carrots from last year- they were tiny that I got out so left the rest so will get some flowers and seeds this year if I leave them where they are and remember or I may take them out to reseed!
Another lovely video. Your positive energy and love for gardening always makes me excited to watch another episode. I've learned a great deal. I've been growing 'Purple Haze' last year and will try 'Nantes' this year. I'm going to experiment by trying to put some into my tomato containers.
We love carrots. I'm an avid gardener, known for my abilities...but not carrots. I do everything right...but I think it's our very hot, humid location on the Texas Gulf Coast. I will keep trying though...
One good method for transplanting carrots is to use eaves troughing to start a whole row and then plant the whole row into place, sliding the trough out.
If you get a lot of forking, other than sifting you soil, you can try ox heart carrots. Quite stubby & chonky. I grow them in fall & use them in soups & stews.
Dear Ben. ❤from Chicago mate. I always watch your garden show. Love it more since I have a garden plot. You bring excitement to gardening. The different types of seeds and how you grow them. Thank u so much. Wish I could send pictures of my plot and you can tell me what you advise me to change or keep.
Excellent information and I plan to use a lot of these ideas. Carrots are one of my favorites. I just built a new greenhouse in very cool area on the northwest pacific coast and will be my answer to not having to search for good carrots. I hate supermarket carrots unless they are organic and my local farm stand only grows them part of the year. We live do live in area where I can grow them all year long in my new greenhouse, yay!
Great video, thank you 👍 I tried ‘Amsterdam forcing 3’ carrots last year, maybe I left them too long, or they didn’t like mushroom compost, they came out so woody I gave them to my friends as dibbers 😂 I’ve just spilt the old packet all over the living room rug, I’ll just have to flap it inside and see what happens!
For the flowers of carrots I always use the tops (you called them shoulders) of carrots I bought during winter. Just cut them tops of, put them in water and wait until the small white roots start to develop. That way you will have both: The root of the carrot and the flowering top. I put the green tops more often than not further away from my carrots, I hope to have pests then on them and not on my crops.
Thank you again for a great video about carrots!!! I started sowing them yesterday and I am indeed spreading the sowing over 4 weeks each time to have a constant supply throughout the year. I have chickens in the garden that help me with the weeds and fertilization , so everything is sown in 1m2 containers and closed off as a small greenhouse. My normal varieties that I always sow again: Amsterdam 2, Blanche a colert vert and Berlikumer 2. This year I am also trying new varieties for the first time: Limburg yellow, Lunar white and Black Spanish.
Thank Ben! I have carrots harvested last week and some are rotten. Hmm I wonder why? I still haven’t mastered planting carrots and this master class is what I need. I’m hoping that this year will be more productive and abundant. My husband loves carrots.
Well I learned so much from this. Thanks Ben . Such an informative and enthusiastic video . Got the seeds and are ready to go and will be utilising the leaves, which is new to me. Brilliant 🥕
You really should submit your videos to some TV producers and pitch your own show. This masterclass series would be perfect for a half-hour gardening show with commercial breaks! I'd watch!
This! 👆
Should take over from Monty Don when he retires
He reminds me of Mr. Smiths vegetable garden from the BBC
I agree!!!
Nooooooooooooo they’ll get their grubby mits involved, great as is 👌
I let mine go to seed 3 years ago and they spread everywhere. I had them in the cracks in the sidewalk, in my gravel driveway, they even tried growing in a little puddle of soil on my front steps. I did transplant the ones I knew wouldn’t make it where they were but the driveway carrots tasted great!😂
That's fantastic! A real bonus crop! :-)
Driveway carrots! That’s funny! And I can’t even get carrots to grow in expensive compost, pampered and fed with the best feed you can get…..😐
That's a great gardeners story!
@@Moon..Shadow Thanks!
@@TraceUK been gardening 45 years and i may have a tip for you.... Carrots are close cousins to many weeds. Treat them gingerly and they won't grow. I have awesome carrots every year. I have an old fashioned, just in the regular dirt, backyard garden. Every year I sow a row of carrots 4 feet wide and 10 feet long. I just plow the regular dirt, rake it smooth, broadcast carrot seeds, rake through it again with the tips of the rake getting the seeds spread out and barely covered. I let the rain take care of it and I walk away. No compost no fertilizer. Just the dirt. They take forever but they pop up just fine. I rarely thin them, never water them, and I get great carrots every year. They are tougher than you think. And they grow fine in clay soil like mine. So try just tossing some and rake them in and see what happens. Also for late season try harvesting after the first freezes. They sweeten up just like parsnips do! Good luck!
Ha ha ha...your advice to push down on the root before twisting and pulling is exactly how teeth are removed. I'm a retired dentist. THANKS for this informative video! SUBSCRIBED
Haha - that's hilarious, never realised that! Cheers for subscribing. A very warm welcome to the channel to you! :-)
im not a mechanic but I was watching videos on how to fix my car and the guy said to help remove rusty bolts without breaking them in the engine block try and tighten them a tiny bit first and then loosen it doing it a few times a plumber in the comments mentioned doing it with pipe same concept never thought about using it in other applications lol and now for carrot removal. Man the journey I just went on 😂
Having an extraction next week: grated carrots for me will mention to the young dentist before she begins...
Hi Ben, I start me carrots off in cardboard egg caratons. I cut the bottom out of each 'cup' and then plant 1-2 seeds in each cup. That way they are well spaced and don't need thinning. I lay the trays of germinated c arrot seeds end to end to mske a perfectly spaced row. Keeping the seedlings moist is important to allow the carboard egg carton, moist so it decomposes allowing the carrots to grow. I get great carrots and germination. Happy gardening 😃
I'm going to try egg cartons this year, since I still have seeds on the older side, I let them germinate in a plastic container with a piece of toilet paper first and will select only the sprouted seeds. Hope this will work. (Doing the same with parsnips)
With egg cartons (and TP-Rolls) it seams to me they need much more water since it evaporates from the sides as well. Thought of putting them in a sand bed or something to counteract that a bit. You got any tips on that or do you just keep watering them?
I might try this this for beets and eggplant. Thank you for this tip
What a fantastic idea - I'd never really thought of using egg cartons, and they would be at the right spacing too. Great idea! :-)
So smart!
@@GrowVeg thank you :-)
I like to crush a couple of cloves of garlic, boil them in a pint of water, strain and put the lquid in a spray bottle. Using this spray whilst thinning helps against the dreaded carrot fly.
What a really great idea - love it! :-)
Brilliant tip! Definitely going to try it. Thank you😊
@@LetsgetloudUKYour welcome. Happy gardening.
Try resist a fly carrots , works for me .
@@gazzertrn Yes there is that option too but it wasn't around when I grew my first carrots
This is exactly what Gardener's World SHOULD be. Thank you!
Yes. I agree. Nothing but useless arty farty nonsense.
Thanks so much! :-)
Hands down the best master tip for carrots that I don’t see here: wait for cold weather to harvest. Turns delicious and fresh into ‘best carrot I’ve ever tasted’. Big sugar boost after frosts.
Great video!😊
I had marginal luck with carrots for many years until I found a tip somewhere-- instead of filling the sowing trench with soil, fill it with fine vermiculite. That holds the water nicely, provides a visible cue to where the rows are, and is a nice loose surface that tiny carrot seedlings will have no trouble penetrating on emergence. That way I can water every other day, and there's no board to lift. Love your videos, especially the masterclass ones that are so informative!
What a fab idea! :-)
You can also make a pudding with water and cornstarch. Add the carrots and let them set over night. Then put the mixture in a ziplock bag and snip off a corner. Then pipe it into the trench and cover with soil. This helps to keep moisture up and with spacing.
You can also use cardboard over your rows.
I used burlap folded in half to make it thicker... Kept it good and moist every day...they sprouted in a couple weeks!...Like the vermiculite tip!
Carrot greens make an incredible pesto with walnuts, olive oil, green onion, parma and a bit of basil and thyme. You can easily eat it by the spoonful!
Sounds delicious! :-)
There is more nutrition in the tops!
Great video! I will add my tip here that has worked well for me for years. When starting them in the garden bed (I have raised beds,) I lay down a 4” wide board. I scribe the seed path down both the edges of the board - very close - I use the board as a straight edge. Keeping the board in place, I sprinkle the seeds into the little trench and cover them up. Keep the board in place - it will keep the soil moist. Which helps the seed to germinate. No having to lift the board to check on germination. It also helps to space the rows at the correct distance in an intensively planted garden bed. I usually plant beside two boards, for 4 rows of carrots.
Great technique, love it! :-)
OOOH! Good idea. I will try that this year.
Great video👍
Many seeds can lie in cold frozen soil and germinate when the temperature is right for them (like nature itself). Carrot seeds are of this type and therefore can be sown very early in the year, even on top of frozen soil covered with a little sandy soil on top. In my climate with snow in winter, it is also a good idea to put a layer of snow on top. When the snow melts in the spring, the seeds get good moisture and germinate when the temperature is right for them. I often winter-sow carrots in January, long long before the last frostdate. It works just fine.
Great advice, thanks so much. :-)
I live in Ohio so this would work for me? Definitely would be fun to try....then they sprout early spring when soil warms?
I saw your book at my local library in Maryland! They had it on display with other garden books. I was like "I know him!" Well, I watch your videos. 😂 Thanks for all the helpful info!
Oh wow - what an honour to be on display like that. Happy gardening! :-)
I think authors get royalties when book is borrowed...will get my library to buy one👍☮️
You are a natural teacher Ben. Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and encouraging. You would be inspirational with young children. Thank you so much .I am an elderly, retired infant teacher. In recent years I have started to fear that the garden may be getting too much for me and maybe it's time to hang up my trowel .😢 I'm delighted to say that your videos have magical properties and I'm up and off to the greenhouse once more. You and the community that you have built here are such great company. Happy gardening and best wishes one and all !😊😊
Never stop gardening. As long as you can move try to grow something. I'm fighting cancer at 63 and gardening helps me both physically and mentally. Maybe you can just supervise the grandchildren as you teach them how to garden.
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you can continue to garden in some capacity - it's good for the soul! :)
@@brianmoore4299How kind of you to take the time to respond to my comment especially when you are dealing with so much yourself. I totally agree that it is essential to keep moving and that gardening is a real blessing . I think that maybe I should have been more accurate in describing how " "vintage" I am.😂😂 I am well into my eighties now and and the archetypal spinster teacher so no family around.I did have a neighbour who shared my love of gardening and we both worked together establishing our wildlife friendly gardens over many years.
Sadly he passed away three years ago and a young couple have moved in.
They have no interest in the garden ,which is fair enough , but it has been heartbreaking and quite soul destroying seeing so many lovingly cultivated plants and valuable wildlife habitats ripped out and even a plastic lawn .I must admit to having shed many a quiet tear 😢
Sadly that is often the way of the world these days .So many people seem to be actually frightened of nature.
It can be so disheartening and one of my main impulses for carrying on is to put off the same thing happening to my beloved patch.
I am naughty dragging around compost , heavy pots etc and did take a tumble last year which knocks your confidence a little.
My post was certainly not meant as a moan, but just to stress how wonderful it is to spend time here amidst like minded people. So uplifting and has me sowing seeds once more😊
I wish you the very best with your ongoing treatment and may gardening be a blessing in your life for many years to come.
@@GrowVeg It certainly is and so is spending my evenings enjoying your videos and dear little Minty.
@@twpsy634 This is my week off from my chemo infusions, so I just got back inside from the garden. I had notifications and one was your comment to me. I don't know where you hail from but myself I'm in sunny southern California USA. I found your comment heartwarming. (And I'd like to caution you to please be careful. No falling). I share your feelings about nature and plants in general. I walk my neighborhood and enjoy looking at the well kept yards. The ones where the people are actually doing things with them. New planting etc. One suggestion for you if you're comfortable with it is to talk with the church and see if they have kids they can send your way. I used to teach gardening at a local community college so I'm always interested in teaching young ones at least the basics of gardening. God bless and thanks for the info.
Nantes half core and coreless are my absolute favorite carrots of all time, crisp, sweet and amazing carrot flavour!.
P.S. This really is the best garden show on all of youtube, I've been gardening for decades and I always learn something new here, plus, I can tell that you love gardening too by your ever present smile, I call it "the gardener's grin". Happy gardening to all!.
That's very kind of you to say. Gardeners are usually the happiest folk around. :-)
I finally found a way to ensure that my carrot seeds stayed moist, even in alabama full sun: bubble wrap. I tried using the board last year and never hand luck, but the bubblewrap did the trick
Great tip, thanks for sharing this. :-)
Yes, I'm going to try bubble wrap.😊
thanks for the tip :-)
Last year was the first year I had any success with carrots. What a difference in those fresh out of the dirt and store bought ! Such a crunch and sweet flavor. I'm definitely having a carrot patch again
You are a special sort of genius and I am addicted to your channel now!
So pleased you're enjoying the channel! :-)
Great Video! I have grown carrots for years in egg cartons. I get the flats for 30 eggs. I take the bottom out of all the cups, then fill them with potting soil & compost mix, sow the carrot seeds very carefully and then cover with soil out in the trench. I also cover them with poly carbonate panels, protecting the seeds from heavy rain and wind, and lets in 100% of the sunlight, and I can see them when they're up. Love this video!!
I found out this new method of pre-sprouting carrot seeds in paper towels and then using egg cartons for spacing. This is where you just punch a hole in each egg "nest" so the tap root can penetrate the soil. No thinning required, so I have to try it out.
The green tops are good in stir fry’s or in a salad… full of vitamin k… and they freeze well too😊
What a great idea, thank you. :-)
They go well with Soups and stews too! ☺️
Since that is all I seem to be growing (tops), I'll do that. Better something than nothing for my work... sifting soil, carefully spacing and thinning..
Chicken feed.
Better than one of their nasty side-effects pills. I can't take a baby asprin. K-2 Complex.
I'ts pretty simple to make your own seed tapes with toilet paper. Something that's nice to do in the winter while wathcing or listening to something. You can ensure even spacing to your own requireents.
That's a great idea - a great exercise in mindfulness too I imagine. :-)
@@GrowVeg Thanks. I'm surprised you've not come across it before. I'll give a bit more info on what I in case anyone reading is in the same situation.
* unroll a length of toilet paper and lay it flat
* lightly spray the lot with a fine mist of water to dampen to tissue.
* pop the seeds down at the distance you prefer.
* fold the tissue over length-ways into half, thirds or quarters.
* leave somewhere airy to dry
* roll up, label and store somewhere dark and airy until needed. Paper bags are ok, but not plastic.
*** if the seeds need it, pop them in the freezer for a while, as-is.
and, yes, it is surprisingly relaxing.
P.s. when the ticcues dries it sticks to itself like very thin paper mache - hence the 'tape' part of it.
So smart!
How?
yes indeed. I've seen that etghod recently on a channel I follow.
I cut the top of a purple carrot, put it in water and when it rooted planted it and then harvested the seeds. Growing a crop now.
Always worth the time to stop by.
You deserve an Oscar for this epic roots video! Love your dialogue and record of growing the different styles of carrots.
Thanks so much! :-)
I saw on utube an interesting tip i plan to try. Take a paper plate punched out with seed sized holes and a solid "parking lot" section. Place handful of seeds and swipe them across the holes. Park the seeds remaining on the blank space, move plate, repeat. Sounds like it might work for all seeds. Just make a custom spaced plate for each seed type. Write on it what it is and reuse next time.
2024 in the UK is the year of consistant natural watering. I saw one alotment near me that had swans in the new pond
I seed my carrots using an old spice jar with the appropriate size sprinkle cap. I also do radishes and other small seeds this way.
What a superb technique! :-)
I do maincrop carrots after the spuds in 30L tubs, draw a spiral shaped seed drill, I've just found insect net bags with draw stings big enough to go right over the tubs, I'm all set
What a great idea!
Where did you get the insect nets
Thankyou so much for your super videos..its always exciting when a new one appears. I always drop my seeds in rows on strips of toilet paper then fold and damp to set....saves on ribbon seeds😂
Take care
Great idea! Happy gardening. :-)
I appreciate the cooking tips for the vegetables that you often add Ben at the end of your videos 😊. Please continue to give them; after all, that's why we grow them! Thanks.
Thanks for the feedback. :-)
Thanks Ben.
I Havent ever been successful with carrots but I havent given up.
I liked the masterclasse and love reading all the comments afterwards.... more tips to pickup.
I made my own carrot and radish seed tapes this year. It’s not hard and they are already spaced. I love watching your videos!! Thank you for your work! ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌻🍠🥔🌽🫚🧅🧄🍅🫛
You can make your own seed tapes very easily, with bathroom tissue and a bit of flour glue. I do it in the late winter so they're ready for the spring sowing.
just found your channel and Ive been putting all your tips in my garden journal! Im a new gardener and im excited to implement all these great tips! Thank you for sharing your knowledge so clearly!!!
I have planted Rainbow carrots into the end or edge of several Chaos planted gardens this year! I will plant more carrots everywhere the Garlic, early potatoes and onions come out.
We are into our 3rd week , near solid rain. Never had them germinate this fast. They are all planted in onions and garlic gardens.
The poetic master gardener at his best! Thank you!
My go-to RUclips channel for feel good vibes!
Thanks as always Ben, once again, some very important information. I always thought I was a good gardener until I came across you. Lol. LOL I still am a good gardener, but I am better because of you. God bless you and yours.
Thanks you so much! Happy gardening! 😀
I tried direct seeding for years with poor germination rates(
Perfect timing.. I’d planned to put my carrot seeds out tomorrow, hopefully they will grow 😀
Thank you dear. This novice is learning so much from you! So grateful.
I am enjoying the first greenery from tomatoes, onions and a couple of herbs.
I am also living with seed spuds on the windowsill! Chitting away nicely. Carrots are next... I have a few planter bags for them. Loving this new approach to eating well, everything else seems like sacrilege now !!! Huge thanks ❤
Thanks for your words of encouragement. You're off to a great start already! :-)
Excellent tutorial! I’m trying carrots in grow bags for the first time this year. I’ll take your advice about protecting them from dryness and insects. Thank you!
I love the garden planner. I've been gardening for over 35 years and have tried several programs like this, but none of them come close it. I also like the way Ben presents his topic.
Frothy, ferny foliage ... nice alliteration. I really enjoyed your show.
Dude! Thank you so much. I just seeded my first carrots 🥕 two days ago and happened to find this! You've truly educated me!
Very timely! I'm growing carrots for the first time this year! Thanks!
You're the best gardener and RUclipsr, greetings from Egypt
Thanks so much! :-)
We have all different colors of carrots at our local grocers, red, white, purple and orange. Growing them have been a challenge for me. Thank you for your channel. I'll try the tips and see how it goes
Something I tried last year for moving carrots to outside was to use two tubs the same size.
I took two plastic containers mushrooms had been bought in. I cut the bottom completely out of one. I then slid that one inside the other which still had the bottom.
When ready to transplant, dig a hole the size of the container. Tilt the container on its side and slip off the whole container. Lay the container with the hole in the bottom and seedlings in next to hole dug and tip up container at same time sliding it into the hole. Now simply slide up and off the bottomless container.
Containers can be used again. It really wants containers that don't narrow down a lot from top to bottom otherwise the container won't slide up and off.
What a great idea! 😀
Great info about the carrot fly. I've never heard about preventive measures. Great video and I like your personality. Thank you from Ontario Canada
I can't wait to sow now :) The only thing is I rebuilt the whole garden from a tiled wasteland... I still need to mix the compost with the new ground. And build the raised bed at some point 😅 Maybe in the middle of the pile I could put something already.
Definitely worth marking out a small patch to crack on straight away. :-)
Hi Ben, as always, a great video on sowing carrot seeds with plenty of useful advice too. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊
Oh I didn't know his name. Ben is an Awesome teacher. He is a GOD send.😊❤
Thanks so much guys - so pleased you enjoyed the video. :-)
Hi there I have experimented the last 2 years planting carrots as well as other root veggies in the fall with great success and I am in zone 2b in Saskatchewan Canada...never had to water the carrots once as the snowmelt and rain took care of that...
A tip I learned is to presprout the seeds in water, takes about 4 days. Then make a corn starch water mix like a paste and add the sprouted carrot seed. Then place that mixture into a plastic bag and cut the corner off like a icing spout and squeeze the mix into your furrow. This helps space out the seed evenly and keep it moist. The seed will sprout in a couple days and be very high success rate.
What a great idea! :-)
I notice that you harvest your Carrots and immediately wash them. I have found that washed carrots go soft in the crisper. What I do is pull the Carrots, twist off the foilage and scrub off as much dirt as I can using an old scrubbing brush. Then I store them in a plastic bag with a paper towel. Keeps them fresh till we use them. Cheers.
Great suggestion, thanks for sharing this. :-)
This is one of the best carrot tutorials I have ever seen. Good job... love your channel! Thanks
Thanks so much - really appreciate that. Happy gardening! :-)
Thanks Ben……not grown carrots for a few years, but gonna do them this year, I feed the tops to my giant tortoise…..he loves them 🐢🥕🥕🥕
What a treat for your tortoise!
I didn’t know we could use TP tubes for this. Gonna start saving them all now!!!
Great video. Thanks. I absolutely love garden grown fresh carrots and take them regularly to work in my lunch. There is no comparison to store-bought carrots. Lots of really good tips here and I always look forward to your videos. You make great videos. Thanks again.
Wonderful video and so much good information. I've tried carrots and never had much success, but am now inspired to give it one more shot this spring 🥕!
So pleased you're inspired to try again! :-)
I spilled seeds in a spot so I started pulling small spindly carrots which were great in salads.
love your content
I just watched your Bean masterclass video, and here I am enjoying the Carrot class. What a great resource you are. Carrots give me fits, I only really grow them for the grandchildren... after all, it's exciting to pull a beautiful bunch of carrot leaves and get a pretty surprise! I'll try your tips -- you're very encouraging, thank you!
So pleased you're enjoying the masterclass videos. Happy gardening! :-)
Growing orange white and purple in pots… fingers crossed this yr lol
Thank you for another masterclass. You are so thorough, and I appreciate all the information.
Especially all the varieties for different soil types. 👍
I have just found your channel and I can see how much care and how passionate you are about your garden! What a joy to watch - I’m starting my gardening journey, first time growing ANYTHING from a seed! - I’ve learnt a lot about what I’d like to achieve and I’m excited! X
You’re embarking on a very exciting journey. Happy gardening!
Man, your content is just sooooo good.
I'm hoping to buy a homestead in the near future. I'm confident this will scale up so I can grow the majority of my own calories. Thanks for the solid wholesome content.
Thanks so much - really appreciate that. Hope you manage to buy yourself a homestead soon! :-)
My carrot tip is this. If you see Elmer Fudd lurking about, you may have a pest problem.
Great pro tip at 1:18 thank you for this video
Pelleted seeds are nice because you can space them out easier, less thinning. Mine came in a little sparse this year but I had carrots with beer can diameter last year so it should turn out.
2-8-4 organic fertz with top ups of potassium.
I love growing purple carrots, red carrots, white, yellow and standard. But I can also buy them in the stores here in the US....
Great that you can find them to enjoy. 😊
Thanks for that Ben. I've just emptied a pot I had some growing in last year and they were quite small but beautifully formed. I didn't know I could have left them to get bigger this year. I thought after one year that was it. Lesson learnt! 😜
Yes I constantly succession plant carrots…there one of my favorites 🥕🥕 Tx
I enjoy watching your videos beautiful carrots colors
Loved the visit.
You are amazing, I will enjoy all of your videos.
Thank you!
45 yrs ago, I grew the most perfectly uniform, huge, sweet carrots I ever ate. In river bottom dirt from the Kaw river in Topeka Kansas.
I have often thought about how much it would cost for a semi load of that dirt delivered to Texas.😮😮
Wow I’ve been saving my paper towel and toilet paper cardboard for compost, but never thought to start seeds in them. Very cool, thanks for the great advice!
If you buy table salt in the cardboard tubes.. those work awesomely as well. I have about half a dozen of them with basil.
Also.. soda cans with the tops cut off.. baking soda boxes.. (I use allot of baking soda for cleaning)
We don’t buy canned drinks so I get my cans when I take my kids to the lake, we do a bit of land clean up and get free planters out of it 😁
@@Sulvie awesome thank you!
Thanks Ben, I forgot to harvest some carrots from last year- they were tiny that I got out so left the rest so will get some flowers and seeds this year if I leave them where they are and remember or I may take them out to reseed!
Another lovely video. Your positive energy and love for gardening always makes me excited to watch another episode. I've learned a great deal. I've been growing 'Purple Haze' last year and will try 'Nantes' this year. I'm going to experiment by trying to put some into my tomato containers.
We love carrots. I'm an avid gardener, known for my abilities...but not carrots. I do everything right...but I think it's our very hot, humid location on the Texas Gulf Coast. I will keep trying though...
Keep on trying Debby! :-)
Love this video, so comprehensive. ❤
One good method for transplanting carrots is to use eaves troughing to start a whole row and then plant the whole row into place, sliding the trough out.
Just got some of the Purple Carrots to go along with the multi color that have been growing, thanks for advice.
If you get a lot of forking, other than sifting you soil, you can try ox heart carrots. Quite stubby & chonky. I grow them in fall & use them in soups & stews.
Great suggestion, thanks! :-)
Thank you for this wonderful and informative video!! You are a wealth of knowledge and an incredible teacher!
This is a 2 thumbs up video, thank you so much. Several useful tips in this video!
Dear Ben. ❤from Chicago mate. I always watch your garden show. Love it more since I have a garden plot. You bring excitement to gardening. The different types of seeds and how you grow them. Thank u so much. Wish I could send pictures of my plot and you can tell me what you advise me to change or keep.
Such kind comments - thank you so much. :-)
Great video. I'll be planting carrots in the next week. Thank you, Ben
Excellent information and I plan to use a lot of these ideas. Carrots are one of my favorites. I just built a new greenhouse in very cool area on the northwest pacific coast and will be my answer to not having to search for good carrots. I hate supermarket carrots unless they are organic and my local farm stand only grows them part of the year. We live do live in area where I can grow them all year long in my new greenhouse, yay!
Hope you enjoy plenty of fantastic carrots over the coming months. :-)
As always your vlogs are so informative and great for newbie gardener I so appreciate them thanks 👍
Great video, thank you 👍 I tried ‘Amsterdam forcing 3’ carrots last year, maybe I left them too long, or they didn’t like mushroom compost, they came out so woody I gave them to my friends as dibbers 😂
I’ve just spilt the old packet all over the living room rug, I’ll just have to flap it inside and see what happens!
Hope you've managed to pick up all those seeds!
I like to think the carrots when they are just big enough to eat!!🇨🇦
For the flowers of carrots I always use the tops (you called them shoulders) of carrots I bought during winter. Just cut them tops of, put them in water and wait until the small white roots start to develop. That way you will have both: The root of the carrot and the flowering top. I put the green tops more often than not further away from my carrots, I hope to have pests then on them and not on my crops.
What a great idea! 😀
Thank you again for a great video about carrots!!!
I started sowing them yesterday and I am indeed spreading the sowing over 4 weeks each time to have a constant supply throughout the year.
I have chickens in the garden that help me with the weeds and fertilization , so everything is sown in 1m2 containers and closed off as a small greenhouse.
My normal varieties that I always sow again: Amsterdam 2, Blanche a colert vert and Berlikumer 2.
This year I am also trying new varieties for the first time: Limburg yellow, Lunar white and Black Spanish.
A lovely mix of varieties there. :-)
Thank Ben! I have carrots harvested last week and some are rotten. Hmm I wonder why? I still haven’t mastered planting carrots and this master class is what I need. I’m hoping that this year will be more productive and abundant. My husband loves carrots.
Hope you have a very successful season ahead. :-)
Well I learned so much from this. Thanks Ben . Such an informative and enthusiastic video . Got the seeds and are ready to go and will be utilising the leaves, which is new to me. Brilliant 🥕
Great video! A great resource to go back to time and time again! I'm looking forward to seeing a series of these 'masterclass' videos :D
Another amazing video - thanks! Love that you appeal to those without all the kit or money ❤
Thank you for giving both measurements being in the US I do not transfer to metric easily. I’m 77, so thank you.
👍👍 perfect timing as always, I just did Bolero and Rainbow 🌈 and have Parisienne in pots in the poly. Have a super week Ben, Ali 🥶🌞🇨🇦